Page 131 of A Secret Cornish Wish
‘Madam, move back behind the tape, please.’ The police officer I spoke to a few minutes ago is waving his hands at me like he’s directing traffic.
‘But your colleague just told me to come under.’
‘Which one?’
‘The woman, er . . . ’ I look around again. ‘She said her name was . . . ’ But I stop.
Of course she did . . .
‘Said her name was what?’ he asks. ‘As far as I’m aware there are only male police officers here right now, so if someone is impersonating a member of the force . . . ’ He looks around angrily. ‘I bet it’s journalists – they’d do anything for a story.’
‘My mistake,’ I say, hurriedly ducking back under the tape again and tucking the shell in my pocket. ‘You carry on, Officer.’ And I hurry over to where Claire, Eddie and Dexter are standing.
As we watch Rob’s body, covered in a long, zipped bag, being carried up the beach to the waiting ambulance, I hold on tightly to the shell in my pocket.
And as the ambulance drives away with Rob’s body inside, the shell, so cold when it was placed in the palm of my hand, glows with warmth.
The day is filled with even more shocks and surprises.
Not too long after the ambulance departs, we sit in Eddie’s café drinking coffees laced with whisky – medicinal, Eddie says – in a state of total and utter shock.
But someone breaks our silence by knocking firmly on the café door. Eddie gets up, mumbling something about it better not be press sniffing around for a story already. But when he returns, it’s with a familiar and very welcome face.
‘Mack!’ I jump up and run over to him. ‘Oh, Mack.’
Only after Mack and I hold each other for a few precious moments, does it occur to me to ask how he got here so quickly. He isn’t due back in St Felix until next week.
‘I was already here,’ Mack says, still holding me as he looks down into my face, his blue eyes full of sadness. ‘I’m staying at the pub. I arrived late last night. I didn’t even see Rob. I went straight to bed assuming I’d see him in the morning. God, I wish I hadn’t now.’
‘You weren’t to know what was going to happen,’ I tell him. ‘None of us did. But why didn’t you tell me you were coming? You usually do.’
‘Rob suggested it,’ Mack says. ‘He said not to tell you. He said it would be a nice surprise for you.’
I look at Mack and Mack looks at me, both of us suddenly realising something isn’t right.
‘And he was found on the beach?’ Mack asks. ‘What was he doing there so early?’
I look around at the others, but they all just look blankly back at us.
‘He wasn’t just found on the beach,’ I tell him. ‘He was found washed up by the edge of the waves . . . The man said he’d been in the water.’
‘He drowned?’ Eddie looks puzzled. ‘But he can swim, can’t he?’
‘Yes,’ Claire says. ‘Rob could definitely swim.’
‘If he was able to,’ Dexter says.
‘What do you mean?’ Claire asks.
‘Perhaps he was under the influence?’ Dexter says bravely. ‘What?’ he adds to Claire and Eddie who glare at him. ‘It’s possible.’
‘You don’t think . . . ’ I trail off. ‘No.’ I shake my head and look up at Mack.
‘Think what?’ Eddie asks. ‘What? Why are you all looking at each other like that?’
‘They’re wondering if he did it deliberately,’ Dexter says. ‘Aren’t you?’
I don’t want to, but I have to agree.
